This disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine assembly including a relocated front flange.
Gas turbine engines, such as turbofan gas turbine engines, typically include a core engine having a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and mixed with fuel in the combustor section for generating hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases flow through the turbine section which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and drive the fan section.
The core engine includes an engine casing structure that includes a fan containment case (FCC) and a fan case downstream from the FCC. The FCC and the fan case surround the fan section of the gas turbine engine and contain the fan section components in the event of a fan blade out event. A fan blade out event occurs where a fan blade of the fan section becomes dislodged from the fan section and strikes the FCC.
The core engine is generally surrounded by a nacelle assembly that is annularly disposed about the core engine. The nacelle assembly and the engine casing structure cooperate to assemble the gas turbine engine. Typically, an inlet lip assembly of the nacelle assembly is attached to an A-flange disposed about the fan section of the core engine. The FCC is attached to an opposite side of the A-flange from the inlet lip assembly. The A-flange permits assembly/disassembly of the inlet lip assembly from the FCC. A B-flange is typically positioned downstream from the A-flange and permits assembly/disassembly of the FCC from the fan case.
The current location of the A-flange about the fan section necessitates that the inlet lip assembly include forward and aft bulkheads. The bulkheads provide radial stiffness and support to the inlet lip assembly. The bulkheads add additional weight and expense to the gas turbine engine assembly, and may negatively affect gas turbine engine efficiency and fuel consumption.
In addition, an engine electronic control is typically mounted aft of the fan containment case, such as on the fan case. The fan case provides a relatively cool mounting environment that is readily accessible for maintenance through fan cowl doors positioned on the nacelle assembly. Disadvantageously, modern gas turbine engines include engine electronic controls of increased size, and include a reduced amount of mounting space aft of the FCC. Therefore, modern gas turbine engines are becoming more difficult and expensive to assemble.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a gas turbine engine assembly that is of reduced weight, reduced complexity, and that may be assembled at a reduced cost.